"I didn’t want to leave science. I love science. That’s who I am, but you don’t have to be a professor or a research scientist to use your science education," says Leslie Cruz to a Nature science journalist, to introduce herself and explain her career path.
Almost every pharma company needs to gain market approval of medicinal products by the authority agency (FDA in the US) and to remain in good standing post-approval. Leslie Cruz, a former Stanford postdoc and now a regulatory affairs specialist, came to share with the AIMS postdocs what it takes to transition out of academic research into an "alternative" scientific career path, the important decisions she had to make along the way and how much she enjoys her job today.
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You can read more of Leslie's interview with Nature in its short print version or the longer online version.
Comments
Did you follow certificate programs before applying to regulatory? How did it help you? In what sense?
I completed the RAPS Certificate program for Pharmaceuticals. It helped me become more familiar with regulatory agencies, guidelines, and the overall process of obtaining approvals from these regulatory agencies.
Also, the UCSC extension in Santa Clara has regulatory classes and a certificate program, as well. There are also master degree programs in regulatory science at some schools across the US.
What are the most important things to show during job applications and interview?
The most important things to show during the interview process is your ability to work with other people, your genuine interest in regulatory, and your ability to assimilate complex information to easy to understand language.
How is your daily routine as a regulatory affairs specialist. Do you work within a team or associates to bounce ideas of? What's your most frequent and main task?
I usually always have documents that I either have to edit, review, or both for a specific submission. I spend quite a bit of time reading over the regulatory guideline related to the document to ensure that the document contains all the necessary information requested by the agency. I will talk to the appropriate people regarding the content of the document to ensure content accuracy. Some days require more time working at the computer while other days I am spending more time talking with people from around the company to get the information that I need. These can be organized or impromptu meetings.
How important is your PhD to move up the career ladder to the top?
If you want to be the VP of a major pharmaceutical company, you better have a Ph.D. So, very important.